Last updated on December 2nd, 2023 at 10:31 am
Is raising twins disrupting your organization? Have you considered a color code system? Many parents find assigning each child a color helps restore order to the household.
I started color coding my kids with their baby bottles. One child was receiving special medication and I didn’t want to mix it up and give it to the wrong baby. And as a tired new mom, after putting the medicine in the bottle and walking to the other room to give it to them I would forget which bottle I had put the medicine in!
My babies are now toddlers and I still use color coding with their sippy cups. I have one twin who is very assertive and if he dropped his cup he will swipe his brothers. But this way I know who lost their cup and I can restore order quickly!
At first I thought this was something we would eventually grow out of, but some families have continued to color code their school aged children thus teaching accountability, lessening arguments,and just simply keeping track of who needs to put their stuff away! So where can you color code to help you keep organized?
Here Are Some Ideas to You Get Started!
School Items
Back packs, lunch boxes, notebooks, folders, pencil pouches. One mother even said she “buys paperclips in her child’s colors so that she can keep track of her kid’s homework and notes from school.”
Kitchen
Baby bottles, sippy cups, plates, place mats.
Bathroom
Buy tooth brushes, wash rags and bath towels in each person’s color or easily add a ribbon tag onto bath towels. Now you can know who left their wet towel on the floor!
Laundry
Sort and fold each child’s clothing in their own color of basket. This will help everyone to pitch in and put up their own laundry.
Play Stuff
Bikes, helmets and swimming goggles.
Personal Items
Pacifiers, pacifier clips, blankets, shoes, coats, sleeping bags.
Medicine Bottles
It is important not to mix up medicines. Color code your families medicine bottle cap with a marker or sticker. Or Target Pharmacy will do it for you with color code rings!
Calendars
Do your kids have a bunch of after school activities to keep track of? Use colored markers or highlighters to see at a glance who needs to go where.
Milk Bands
These are breastfeeding bracelets that help you keep track of when and for how long your baby was last fed as well as what side they fed on. But instead of changing the arm your bracelet is on you just flip it over; one side says left and the other says right.
Here Is What Some Mom’s Had to Say
“We do pink and blue. I loved when they started to recognize ‘their color’ and there was less fighting.”
Amanda T.
“Twin A is blue, twin B is green and big brother is orange! I color code EVERYTHING….cups, bowls, plates, utensils, toothbrushes, blankets, toys….anything and everything! Has made life so much easier when someone’s cup is missing if it’s your color that’s gone, you find it, no fighting or saying ‘it’s not mine!’ It has worked very well for us!”
Kasie P.
“I did pink and purple to help out family and friends. I’m so glad I did as 11 years later I can tell who is who in pictures as I finally start finding some time to do some organizing.”
Eve D.
“We don’t do it for clothes but we started when they were infants color coding bottles then sippy cups. We use blue and green and they are now almost 3 and very territorial about their colors. I think it has worked very well for us.”
Diana L.
“We did and still try but it seems they always pick the opposite color to wear. My poor extended family, just when they think they have them figured out!“
Emily H.
“The infant car seats I had were identical and my boys were different sizes so I looped a toy ring in their color around the handle to know which seat to put each baby into so I didn’t have to readjust the straps every time. This also helped others to know who was who when they were in the seats.”
Jill M.
Written by contributing editor Jill Marcum.
